Many patients are confined to a bed for extended periods of time for a variety of reasons. Lengthy bed stays, especially where the patient is elderly, unable to or too weak to move, or simply lethargic, can cause additional complications that could be as serious or more threatening than the underlying ailment requiring the bed rest.
Bed sores and decubitus ulcers are some of the common problems that arise for bedridden individuals. During a lengthy stay in bed, the weight of various body parts tend to press the tissue against the bed mattress at a pressure exceeding the capillary occlusion pressure in that area. As a result, there is a significant reduction of blood flow through the tissue which, in areas of bony prominence such as the heel and hip, can result in the development of deep penetrating ulcers.
Another common problem for bedridden individuals is the accumulation of pulmonary fluids in a patient's lungs, especially for those suffering from trauma such as surgery. As a result, the patient is more susceptible to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia.
A further common problem for bedridden individuals is the lack of proper stimulation of a patient's kidneys and lymphatic system. The kidneys and lymphatic system are normally stimulated by the movement of the patient's large muscles, such as the leg or arm muscles. The lack of patient activity allows toxins and excess body fluids to build up which, in turn, slows the healing process.
However, it has been found that turning bedridden patients has many therapeutic benefits that combat the occurrence of such complications in patients. Turning a patient to different positions serves to reduce the interface pressure on a patient's skin over a large portion of the patient's body, and thus diminishes the likelihood that decubitus ulcers will develop. The turning action also serves to stimulate the patient's kidneys and lymphatic system, and thus diminishes the presence of toxins and fluids that tend to build up from a lack of patient activity. Additionally, the rotation of the patient's body aids the patient's lungs in eliminating the accumulation of pulmonary fluids, causing a "respiratory toilet" effect, and thus diminishing the likelihood of respiratory complications.
A number of different devices have been developed to accomplish patient turning with an air support mattress. All of these devices, however, utilize the basic underlying concept of inflating and deflating adjacent air cells or groups of air cells to accomplish patient turning. Some of the more common turning air mattress devices include the use of a group of full body length turning cells which are inflated and deflated in a specific sequence in order to turn a patient. Variations on this concept include longitudinal cells being used in combination with transverse cells and/or being overlaid on top of other air cells to prevent a patient from "bottoming out" during the turning process. Another device utilizes a matrix of small cells arranged to fully support the patient in which a combination of cells is inflated and deflated in specific order to turn the patient. A further device employs the use of air cells that have a cutaway design in alternating orientation between adjacent air cells, such that a cavity is formed for the patient to rotate into.
Notwithstanding the therapeutic benefits these turning mattresses may provide, they are not without shortcomings. These turning air mattresses do not necessarily ensure that the patient is in proper spinal alignment during the turning process. As a result, undue stress may be placed on the patient's spinal column which may cause the patient to experience severe discomfort and possibly spinal injury. Poor spinal alignment tends to be caused by the turning mattress's inability to properly adjust the leg and foot angle or maintain the leg and foot at a proper angle relative to the patient's torso during the turning operation, or the turning mattress's inability to restore a patient to the center position of the mattress surface after completing a turn to prevent or reduce a patient's tendency to drift to one side of the bed during the turning operation.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a turning air mattress that is capable of reducing the stress on a patient's spinal column created during the turning process by having the ability to restore a patient to a center position on the mattress surface, to reduce the patient's tendency to drift during the turning operation, to properly adjust the angle or maintain a proper angle of a patient's leg and foot during the turning operation, and to generally maintain proper spinal alignment.